The SC’s July order banning loudspeakers notwithstanding, the state government is set to seek an exception for Ganesh Mahotsav. The ruling, on July 18, had banned the use of loudspeakers after 10 pm. Legal experts and senior officials met Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil on Thursday evening to discuss an appeal to the SC to relax the ban during the Ganesh Mahotsav in September. ‘‘We will see if we can get permission to let people use loudspeakers on festivals like Ganpati visarjan and during Navratre as they could before the SC order,’’ said Principal Secretary (Home) Neela Satyanarayan.‘‘These festivals have been celebrated for years. If we try to close the procession at 10 pm, people might defy and create a law and order problem.’’ Sources said officials had been asked to explore if the state government could plead with the Supreme Court to waive the anti-noise pollution order during Ganesh Chaturthi, a seven-day affair. The Chaturthi falls on September 7 this year. The opinion of the state’s Attorney-General was also taken on the matter. The SC bench comprising CJI R.C. Lahoti and Justice Ashok Bhan had, in their order, banned the use of loudspeakers after 10 pm even during festivals to end what it termed ‘‘aural aggression’’. The order provided for strict implementation of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000 at all times. It reversed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) rule of 2002 that allowed state governments to permit use of loudspeakers till midnight 15 days a year on religious grounds. ‘‘The SC order specified that religion is not a ground to violate noise control rules. It takes the health and sentiments of people into account. The government has to follow it in letter and spirit,’’ said noise pollution activist Sumaira Abdulali. The magnitude of noise pollution is evident from data collected by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). In November 2004, MPCB found noise levels in residential and commercial areas to be five to 11 times the permissible limit. Many, however, doubt if the government would succeed in its effort.‘‘The SC order is comprehensive and deals with the subject of noise created during festivals. There is hardly any ground on which a review petition can be filed,’’ said lawyer Ishar Nankani.
